Viacom, Google Bury the Hatchet Over YouTube
Settlement of Seven-Year Copyright Litigation Could Lead to Partnerships
Viacom brought the case in 2007, alleging that YouTube had infringed on its copyrights by allowing users to post nearly 160,000 unauthorized clips of Viacom programming from TV networks such as MTV and Comedy Central. The entertainment company sought $1 billion in damages.
But over the past few years, a federal judge in New York twice ruled against Viacom, most recently last April, when the judge ruled that the burden was on Viacom to prove that YouTube was aware of specific infringements of works in the suit. The matter was due to go back to the appeals court next Monday.
Still, Viacom had already achieved some of what it wanted. Several years ago, Google adopted a filtering technology, "Content ID," that detects copyrighted works on YouTube and lets media companies decide if they want it removed.
Over 5,000 content-creators are using Content ID, Google says. Media companies also can use Content ID to make money off their content by selling ads against video that appears. Viacom so far has chosen to remove unauthorized content and isn't selling ads on YouTube.
